


Before Valla University: Paralouges and Xenolouges

by fairykaine



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Competition, Implied Physical Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Leo and takumi r little shits, Middle School, Modern AU, More tags to be added, Multi, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 16:43:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10745715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairykaine/pseuds/fairykaine
Summary: Short stories set before Valla University, looking into the lives of Leo, Takumi, and those around them. Each chapter will delve deeper into their lives and their childhoods.





	Before Valla University: Paralouges and Xenolouges

He was a middle schooler now.

Takumi had felt like a grown up ever since leaving elementary school, finally not having to be with his little sister, Sakura. She had cried and begged Takumi to come back and be with her, but Takumi scoffed and told her that he was growing up, and that he couldn’t spend time with his baby sister anymore. To which she responded by bursting into tears, yelling, “I hate you, big brother!”, and running to her room.

Takumi didn’t understand. She was a 5th grader- hardly a child anymore. Why was she so attached to him? 

_ Whatever,  _ he thought, as he pushed the door open into the spacious library. It was big and beautiful, and on slow days, the teacher would allow Takumi to go to the library and pick out some books to read. Takumi loved books. Fantasy, action…. Even historical fiction was something he read sometimes.

Browsing along the shelves, he came across a boy with blond hair and a headband, a mountain of books by his side. Half of them were thick and looked quite long, and the blond boy was reading through them all.

Takumi scoffed.  _ What a showoff.  _ He had half a mind to tell this kid just what he thought about his bragging. He hated know-it-alls like that, kind of like his brother, Ryoma, who tended to get perfect scores on tests and was very good at fencing, although he hadn’t gotten proper training yet. Hinoka, his older sister… Her talents lied in horseback. Sakura was fairly good at… Well… Being Sakura. A kind and sweet girl.

Takumi wasn’t good at anything. He was fairly proficient in archery, but he wasn’t studious like Ryoma or active like Hinoka. 

He wasn’t anything… And he had just begun to feel these emotions of inferiority and jealousy. 

Sitting across the boy with the books, Takumi scoffed. “Dork,” he said, under his breath. 

The boy looked up with a quizzical look on his face, straight at Takumi. 

“You heard me right, show-off. What gives you the audacity to  come in here and stick your noses in books like you’re better than everyone else?” 

“At least I’m not some idiot like you, who comes into a library to pick fights with people. Obviously, I read these big books because I’m smarter than you. I have more intellect in my brain than whatever is rattling around in your skull.” 

Takumi sneered. “I am far more smarter than you would believe. I just don’t show it off like you,  _ ass. _ ” 

The boy rolled his eyes. “How pedestrian. You’re using curse words to counter me now? Pathetic,” he stood up and picked up his books. “I’ll be taking my leave now, unless you want to spout more nonsense at me. Good day,” he walked away from Takumi.

The silver haired boy growled and gritted his teeth.  _ Oh, it’s on, kid. _

Little did he know, he had just begun a long time feud……

 

-

Takumi and Leo competed with just about anything. Who could get the higher grades, who could read the thickest books, who could make it farther in the schoolwide spelling bee. 

To Takumi, Leo was a show-off, a know-it-all. Someone who wouldn’t hesitate to show how smart he was. And to Leo, Takumi was all bark and no bite, a boy who picked fights and had lower intelligence than him. He supposed it made him a bit conceited, but he  _ had  _ to get the best grades. In order to prove Takumi wrong, in order to continue being the most book smart in his family… 

In order for his father to be proud of him. And maybe for him to stop throwing so many words that stung and… so many blows that hurt worse. The blows that left physical scars. The blows that left Leo crying while his sisters, Camilla and Elise, patched him up. 

Takumi wanted the recognition. The competition with Leo fueled him to be his best. In hopes that maybe.. His mother would dote on him again. His father would be proud of him. That he wouldn’t be so ignored...

But their home lives didn’t matter when they were at school. All Leo knew was to be the best. Be the best at reading. Be the best at tests. All Takumi knew was how to study. How to brag. How to work so hard he’d be exhausted the next day. Be the best at anything and everything. And the boys wouldn’t let each other win, no matter what. 

All throughout middle school, the boys kept score with each other and bragged about their achievements. Their competition never escalated to physical heights, but they merely competed with their brains, not their brawn. 

“Hey, Taco. What’d you get on the latest test?” Leo had come to calling Takumi Taco, a nickname that drove the silver haired boy mad. 

“Me? I got a 98. What about you? Can you beat  _ that?”  _ Takumi said with a proud smile on his face. 

“Hmph. I got a 95…” Leo sulked. He  _ hated  _ losing to Takumi more than anything. It would put him in sour mood for the rest of the day.

“Ha! Seems like I win this round,  _ Astria.”  _ Takumi walked off, a smirk on his face.  _ He beat Leo. He did it. _

Leo grimaced.  _ Oh. I won’t lose. Not again..not to  _ you.

But little did those boys know, even after leaving middle school for high school,  they were relieved they would never see each other again.

  
….or so they thought…..

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed!!


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